Monday, December 30, 2013

My version...I cook a whole chicken (I rub the canola oil on it after I wash it.) in the crockpot the day before. Next day, I shred the chicken, add all the ingredients except the sour cream and whipping cream to the crockpot and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. I sometimes add more broth to make sure the chicken is completely covered. Also, I only use one can of chopped chilies. Before serving, I add the sour cream and whipping cream and stir until the sour cream dissolves. We usually have a salad and saltines! Enjoy!

Saturday, December 28, 2013

The huge live oaks here sure add a certain charm to our surroundings. They tower 50-60 feet high. Live Oaks begin to produce acorns at about 20 years, but 50 years old is not unusual for a first crop.

Acorns are the top food preference for some birds like jays and for some mammals like squirrels and whitetail deer. We have all become accustomed to the sound of raining acorns. Even Wrecks doesn't hide when he hears them. First a POP...followed by a lopsided roll.

I also read that a 100 year old Oak produces around 2,200 acorns a year. How do they know that? And only 1 acorn in 10,000 will grow to be an Oak Tree.

With so many birds, the squirrels have resorted to hickory nuts.

Now that's a mouth full!

These little sparrows have been flittering all over the ground. At first glance they look like leaves blowing. Well, today, the rains came. We didn't get out at all except to go to breakfast.We enjoyed a different nut...a Donut...as in The Donut Hole Bakery Café on Hwy 98. Our good friend David invited us to join him. We love to eat breakfast out, so he heard a very enthusiastic YES! David and Joe waited patiently while I was busy taking pictures of the goodies...donuts, muffins, cakes and pies.

I should have taken my wide angle lens to get all the donuts...this is just a very small sample. It was well worth the few minutes we had to wait to be seated...yummy omelet, cheese grits, pancakes and biscuits. Thank you so much David. What a nice treat for us and fun to spend time with you!

The afternoon was spent napping while the aroma of creamy white chili simmering in the crockpot filled our home. And yes, a maple donut for dessert (thanks David!).

Friday, December 20, 2013

That's right...we got pop! A burst of wonderful, much needed, rich color. We spent endless hours discussing how, when, and with what to brighten up Belle. We love color and there is just not a lot of ways to get a pop of it in a MH. Check this out...

Before...

We recovered 5 cornice boards. It took all week-end, but we didn't mind. It rained all day Saturday and Sunday was windy and cold.

After

We took our time stripping the old material off paying close attention to how it was attached. Bought ourselves a staple gun and some Patriot Cherry upholstery material and had a grand time.

We love our new look! It was like so many of the projects we have tackled in the past, that by the time we figure out how to do something well enough to be reasonably efficient we are through.

Also this week, Joe replaced the "under the MH" fencing to keep Jack safe. We had an ugly white metal garden edging that didn't collapse easily. We found a black plastic edging that looks so much better and folds into a nice, small stack.

Now our patio looks nice and we don't worry about Jack getting out. Have you ever had a drawer come flying open as you were driving down the road? Joe had to install a new drawer pull. (Ummm... I will do a much better job of checking them before we head out!) Wrecks found it necessary to sit close by on the sofa and supervise his work.

That's Dover getting her nails done...we did nails this week too...all 72 of them! AND Sally got another hair cut. Yep, we let it get waaaay to long.

This was her second cut in the last 2 weeks. She is one happy pup now...and oh how she sashays around the park!

Yesterday, Millie and Barry came right on over to LOL in the pontoon boat to pick us up for a ride and picnic. The sky was blue, the sun was warm, and we had a nice relaxing time. Its always lots of laughs and a great time with Barry and Millie!

The water level in the Mitchell River was down about 2 feet.

The sky was beautiful...so blue, so clear. And it cast a nice reflection on the water which is really black.

The water was as smooth as glass.As we were tootling along, I just happened to spot a huge hive. Isn't nature amazing? It was camouflaged. I'm guessing it is a hornets nest built with chewed up tree bark.

Let the sun shine through!

Joe and I agree a ham sandwich never tasted so good as it does when you are taking a leisurely ride down the river.

This morning we had a walk on the beach. Not very many folks or birds out today.

I really wanted to go exploring around this coastal dune lake. We figured out pretty quick that to get to the lake you have to pay the day fee at Grayton State Park.

This is the small section where the lake and ocean exchange water.

The lake water is "tea color". It sure makes for a nice photo where the two waters meet.

It's been a really good week here at Live Oak Landing.

Oh, I almost forgot...I got a really good haircut last Wednesday. Found C'est la Vie Salon in Destin on the internet. Great shampoo and cut and at a reasonable price. Ask for Allen if you are in the area and need help. How do you find salons in your travels?

About Us

Joe and I love the RV life and the freedom it gives us to call any place we choose to park home. Having our canine dependents with us makes it a total package. July of 2018 marked the completion of our seventh year as full-timers. We have seen a lot of this continent and met many wonderful people. There are so many more places we want to visit before the wanderlust diminishes. At the same time we are sincerely thankful for each day God has given us and hopeful we will have many more before settling down.